Ch. 2 — 02
It took two weeks for the temporary ID to be issued.
Perhaps it was an appropriate amount of time.
It gave young Cheol-jun the time he needed to gather his emotions and put at least a little distance between himself and that traumatic experience.
For those two weeks, Cheol-jun lived at the consulate.
The staff there were all remarkably kind to him.
Everyone knew Cheol-jun’s story, of course, but even if they hadn’t, he was simply that lovable of a child.
With his innocent expressions and wide, round eyes, he acted with a maturity far beyond his years.
Despite having a frame that made him look even smaller than his actual age of eleven, his composed demeanor somehow made him seem even more grown-up.
Occasionally, he would show signs of sorrow over those painful memories, but he appeared to be holding himself together quite well.
Honestly, it was a highly unusual case.
A child who had lived on the run with a combat-specialized black op agent for a father.
He must have moved constantly, been perpetually exposed to danger, and lacked any formal education.
It was assumed he wouldn’t have been able to form proper relationships with others, given the many situations where he likely had to hide.
Naturally, the staff anticipated his social skills would be severely stunted.
However, the boy wasn’t like that at all.
He got along perfectly well not only with the adults but also with the other children at the consulate.
He loved books so much that he read through almost all the general literature in the consulate during those two weeks.
It was hard to tell if he fully understood the material, but his reading speed was astoundingly fast.
Two weeks could be considered a short time, but before anyone realized it, Cheol-jun had firmly planted himself in everyone’s hearts as a truly precious child.
And so, on the morning Cheol-jun was finally set to leave for South Korea, the entire consulate staff wiped at their teary eyes, unable to hide their sadness at seeing him go.
*
*
*
Jang Soo-hyun stroked Cheol-jun’s hair as he stared quietly down at his temporary passport.
Cheol-jun looked up at Soo-hyun and smiled brightly.
“How does it feel?”
“Good.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Not at all!”
Cheol-jun truly meant it.
Every South Korean he had met so far had been incredibly kind.
“Listen, you shouldn’t just trust people so easily. There are a ton of bad people out there, too.”
“Yes. I know.”
It was something his dad had constantly drummed into his head.
That was exactly why Cheol-jun had been so careful, even at the consulate.
He pretended not to know things he actually knew, showed the adults exactly what they wanted to see, and adjusted his level of conversation to match the children he met.
He had worked hard not to appear too extraordinary.
Soo-hyun, who had been checking the departure board, stood up from her seat.
“Alright, it’s time for your flight. Let’s go in.”
“Okay!”
“This is your first time on a plane, right?”
“Yes! I’m actually a little nervous about this.”
“Haha.”
*
*
*
The flight time from Shenyang to Incheon Airport wasn’t particularly long.
For that hour and a half, Cheol-jun simply stared out the window, his eyes wide.
Flying higher than the clouds still didn’t feel real.
The clouds were so thick that he couldn’t see the ground below, making the entire experience feel like a dream.
Whenever patches of the blue ocean appeared through the clouds, he stared even harder, trying to make himself realize—even just a little bit more—that this was reality.
Watching the back of Cheol-jun’s cute little head, Soo-hyun spoke up.
“You’re not going to sleep? You barely slept last night. You should try to get at least a little shut-eye.”
Cheol-jun just smiled brightly.
He couldn’t fall asleep.
He was terrified that if he closed his eyes, he might wake up from this dream.
Cheol-jun’s eyes grew wide again.
It had been nothing but ocean for a long time, but as the clouds cleared, land began to appear in the distance.
Soon, an announcement played over the speakers, informing passengers to prepare for landing.
-jun quickly adjusted his seatbelt and gulped.
The land drew closer.
It was South Korea, the place he had wished and hoped for so desperately.
‘Happily…’
Pressing his forehead and nose against the window, his small lips parted slightly.
*
*
*
Outside the Arrivals Hall at Incheon Airport.
“Ah! I’m going to move it right away! I just need to pick someone up quickly!”
“Boss! That’s a spot for limousines. You’re going to get caught on camera right there! I’m telling you, valet is cheaper!”
“Hah, damn it…”
“Come on, you drive such a nice car, how much could valet cost anyway…”
Grinding his teeth, Oh Hyung-man handed his car keys and a 20,000 won bill to the persistent valet parking attendant.
“Oh, thank you very much! Just give us a call thirty minutes before you need it, and we’ll bring it right around!”
“Look, it’s brand new, so drive it gentle… Hah… Look at the time…”
Oh Hyung-man quickly dashed toward the airport lobby and checked the arrival board.
“Let’s see… the flight from Shenyang… Phew, it’s delayed.”
Scratching his head lightly, he furrowed his brow.
‘I can’t believe Jae-kang is dead…’
Did he know this was going to happen?
A few months ago, the guy who never usually reached out had suddenly called to ask for a favor.
He asked that if anything went wrong with him, Hyung-man would take care of his son.
The only reason he had rushed to Incheon Airport today was because of that very request.
‘Hah, a long-lost son?’
Did he fall for some woman in China?
Wait, if the kid is eleven now, does that mean Jae-kang knocked someone up about two years into his black op deployment?
Hyung-man had been in China himself back then, so when did he even find the time…?
Regardless, to Hyung-man, Jae-kang was like a real younger brother.
No, he was more than a brother.
He was the savior who had personally saved Hyung-man’s life on multiple occasions.
Therefore, it was a request he could absolutely never ignore.
If the boy was Jae-kang’s son, he was Hyung-man’s son, too.
‘Oh shoot. It’s landed.’
Hyung-man quickly hurried toward the arrivals gate.
The doors slid open, and people began streaming out.
In the distance, he spotted someone he assumed was the consulate staff member affiliated with the NIS.
He could tell at a glance; they possessed that arrogant aura entirely unique to white agents.
Shifting his gaze slightly, Hyung-man saw a child walking out, tightly holding the consulate employee’s hand.
Round eyes, a slender face—he was an incredibly pretty-looking child.
‘Huh? He doesn’t look a thing like that gorilla of a man.’
Twitching an eyebrow, Hyung-man stepped forward.
*
*
*
“We ultimately failed to secure the body. The Public Security Bureau didn’t give us an opening…”
At the consulate staffer Jang Soo-hyun’s words, Oh Hyung-man scrunched his nose.
She was a consulate employee on paper, but in reality, she was a dispatched NIS agent.
Which meant, technically speaking, she was his junior by a long shot.
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
Oh Hyung-man looked over at the child sitting in the distance.
The boy was blinking his round eyes, looking around in every direction.
“So, what’s the kid’s personality like?”
“He’s fine. Kind, polite, and smart. He’s recovering remarkably fast for a child who just went through something so traumatic.”
“Phew… Is this everything for the handover?”
“Yes. I’ve done all the verification possible in China, and the preliminary investigation is fully complete. We will request your cooperation for additional procedures later. On paper, it’s been processed as the repatriation of a stateless compatriot born overseas, so you can take him with you immediately. Please get him a health checkup first, and since he has absolutely zero official educational records, please also proceed with an academic proficiency test and psychological counseling.”
Jang Soo-hyun let out a quiet sigh.
Of all people, the man Lee Jae-kang had appointed as his guardian was this famous troublemaker senior. The guy who missed out on a promotion to deputy director, retired three years ago, but still swaggered around the NIS acting like he was on active duty under the guise of being an “Overseas Business Consulting Advisory Board Member.”
Looking into his background, she saw he was divorced, too.
She had only ever heard the rumors; this was her first time meeting him in person.
However, her first impression of him was terrible.
A thick gold chain, a luxury watch, and a clutch bag?
He looked like a street thug.
“Given the magnitude of the shock he suffered, there will definitely be many things that require careful attention. Please take good care…”
“Ay. Of course, of course! Can I just take him now?”
“Yes. Currently, you strictly hold a guardianship status, so please verify your legal authority carefully, and fully cooperate with any investigations from child welfare agencies…”
“Okay! Okay!”
Frowning, Jang Soo-hyun held out the items in her hand.
“Here are his temporary ID and passport.”
“Okay! Thank you!”
Oh Hyung-man quickly snatched them up and turned toward the child.
In the corner of the waiting room, the boy—looking far too small to be eleven—was blinking his round eyes.
Hyung-man grinned broadly and waved his hand.
“Let’s go, squirt!”
*
*
*
Cheol-jun stared out the car window, eyes wide.
All the buildings were huge.
And there were far more cars than he had ever imagined.
On top of that, they were all incredibly nice cars.
When living with his dad, the constant risk of being tracked meant they couldn’t use the internet freely, so he had only watched videos occasionally.
But seeing it in person was infinitely more incredible.
There were a staggering number of people walking the streets, a staggering number of restaurants, and a staggering number of traffic lights…
Shenyang had been a metropolis too, but the very atmosphere here was different.
This place seemed freer, more complex, and vastly more diverse.
‘Wow. There really are an incredible number of incredible things.’
This car was amazing, too.
The roof was wide open like a window, so when he looked up, he could see the sky.
The older man driving glanced at Cheol-jun and pushed a button.
Instantly, the roof slid open smoothly.
Cheol-jun’s eyes grew even wider.
‘He said it was exactly the same…’
The color of the sky was completely different. It felt so much bluer, and far brighter.
-Let’s make sure to see it together. Even if it’s nothing special.
At the sudden memory of that voice, the bright blue sky began to blur and warp. He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
‘I’ve finally arrived. In South Korea.’
How he was meant to live his life had already been decided.
‘I will try everything I wanted to do. Learn everything I wanted to learn.’
Because the life his birth parents and his dad, Jae-kang, had wished for him was one and the same.
‘I’ll only think about my own happiness, no matter what.’
Staring endlessly up at the wavering blue through the tears constantly welling in his eyes, Cheol-jun smiled radiantly.
‘Freely…’
*
*
*
Hyung-man simply drove in silence, occasionally scrunching his nose.
He had always found it difficult to converse with kids to begin with, but this atmosphere made it infinitely harder.
So, after their initial greeting, he had simply kept quiet and observed the boy.
Observation was second nature to him.
As such, he was currently analyzing the child’s every movement.
Very cautious and restrained.
At eleven years old, it was normal to ask a barrage of questions when faced with a strange environment and a stranger.
He might be keeping his words scarce out of sheer caution, but he should still be showing some obvious signs of curiosity.
Yet, this child asked absolutely nothing, seemingly trying to judge everything solely through his own eyes.
He didn’t look scared, either.
He was just quietly staring out the window.
Very naturally, he was observing.
This unfamiliar situation, this unfamiliar adult, the sights of this unfamiliar country.
‘Hmm… is the kid just precocious?’
The look in his eyes was incredibly mature.
Hyung-man hadn’t closely observed kids much lately, but he could still judge at least this much.
“Ahem.”
The child, who had been looking out the window, turned his head toward Hyung-man and blinked.
“So, anything interesting?”
“Yes! Everything is amazing.”
“Haha. I see. Where did you say you lived again?”
“Yanbian, Dalian, Dandong, and Shenyang.”
“Ah, those must have been pretty big cities too, right?”
“I mostly lived on the outskirts. If we went even a little further into the city, we’d immediately be exposed to the Skynet facial recognition system.”
“Ah, right. Our Cheol-jun sure is smart.”
Hyung-man twitched an eyebrow. He knows about Skynet?
Seeing terminology like that pop out so naturally, it seemed the boy definitely knew what kind of work his dad did.
“Dad told me something.”
“Hm?”
“That he saved your life three times, Mister.”
“Ah…”
“He said I shouldn’t ever trust anyone easily, but I could trust you unconditionally, Mister. And he said I could totally mooch off of you… wait, bleed you dry? Is that the right phrase? Anyway, he said I didn’t have to walk on eggshells around you.”
Hyung-man chuckled, shaking his head.
“Haha. Yeah. That’s right. You can definitely trust me.”
Cheol-jun’s lips parted.
“One hundred million.”
“…Huh?”
At Cheol-jun’s abrupt words, Hyung-man blinked.
Cheol-jun stared intently at Hyung-man with a bright, innocent face.
“He said he left it with you, Mister…”
Hyung-man nodded quickly.
He remembered a job they had run together in the past.
They had skimmed a little off the top back then and split it between them.
“Ah! Right, right. That’s true. There was some money Jae-kang entrusted to me.”
Cheol-jun smiled broadly.
“It wasn’t money, it was 100 million won worth of crypto coins, wasn’t it? He said he told you strictly not to cash it out?”
Hyung-man’s eyes wavered slightly.
That gorilla of a man told him even about that?
Hyung-man awkwardly turned up the corners of his mouth and nodded.
“Ah… Right. So he did.”
“It must have increased tenfold by now, right?”
“…Uh?”
Hyung-man blinked blankly.
“If you try to feign ignorance, I also know exactly what to do.”
“…Huh?”
“If I just call a Mr. Kim Han-soo at the NIS and tell him what happened during the takedown operation of the illegal gambling rings in Yanbian…”
“Ayy, seriously. Who’s feigning ignorance? I’ve, huh? I’ve got it all ready! Huh?”
Cheol-jun smiled brightly.
“Yes. I knew you would.”
“…Haha.”
Hyung-man laughed awkwardly.
This kid was anything but ordinary.